Various medications and cold allergy medications that you can try

Cold weather or rainy season may be the biggest enemy for those of you who have cold allergies. The reason is, the skin will immediately react with the appearance of a red rash and annoying itching sensation. However, there are several drug options and treatments that can help you deal with cold allergies.

What are the treatment options available?

Natural remedy for cold allergies

As long as symptoms appear and treatment is ongoing, doctors usually advise patients to avoid cold allergies or triggers. You may want to avoid places with low temperatures, handle cold objects, and not shower too early.

If these two are still not helping enough, you can try some of the natural remedies below to relieve cold allergy symptoms.

1. Aloe vera

The cool sensation of aloe vera gel can soothe itchy skin that is inflamed from a cold allergy. The anti-inflammatory properties of the aloe vera plant are also believed to help fade red rashes on the skin.

How to use it as a cold allergy natural remedy is quite easy. Apply a small amount on the skin to make sure you are not allergic to this ingredient. If there is no itching or other complaints, you can start using it regularly.

2.Tea tree oil (tea tree oil)

Tea tree oil contains antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties which are believed to help treat itchy skin due to allergies. Tea tree oil is also believed to reduce swelling and redness of the skin due to allergic inflammation.

However, it should be noted, not everyone with cold allergies can use this natural remedy. It is imperative that you consult your doctor first, as tea tree oil can cause contact dermatitis in some people.

Tea tree oil should also be used with caution. Only use this oil applied to the skin, not by mouth or dropping it in the eyes. Direct contact with the body risks causing irritation and a host of other side effects.

3. Take a shower oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of the natural ingredients that can be used as an itchy skin medication due to cold allergies. Wheat, which is the raw material, contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances that are believed to soothe itching on inflamed skin.

Oatmeal for bathing is in the form of fine grains like flour. You can buy it or make your own by grinding wheat using blender. When oatmeal already available, here's how to take a shower oatmeal correct.

1. Add 1 cup flour oatmeal into a tub filled with warm water. Do not use hot water, as this can irritate the itchy skin.
2. mix oatmeal thoroughly into the bath water.
3. Soak for about 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, rinse yourself with a normal temperature shower until clean.

4. Quercetin

Quercetin is a type of antioxidant found in onions and apples. One 2013 study in the journal International Immunopharmacology suggests that quercetin can act like a natural antihistamine drug for cold allergies.

Research on quercetin has only been tested on animals. Even so, there's nothing wrong with including apples or onions in your daily menu to help relieve itching due to cold allergies.

Cold allergy medication with or without a doctor's prescription

In fact, there is no single drug specifically intended for cold allergies. Doctors usually prescribe a combination of several types of common allergy medications to relieve reactions that appear and prevent recurrence.

Drug therapy for cold allergies can also be combined with other medicines as needed. For example, allergy medication is combined with medication to relieve pain, reduce fever, or treat a cold according to allergy symptoms that appear.

Before using allergy medication, make sure you have discussed it with your doctor. Keep in mind that allergy medications can trigger allergic reactions in some people. Consultation is useful in determining the types of drugs you should avoid.

Reporting from DermNet New Zealand, there are several drugs commonly used to treat cold allergy symptoms, namely:

1. Antihistamines

Taking antihistamines is one of the first ways to treat cold allergies. This drug works by inhibiting the release of histamine, which is a chemical in an allergic reaction that causes symptoms such as itching, hives, and rashes.

Some examples of antihistamines to treat hives are diphenhydramine, loratadine, and cetirizine. You can get antihistamines as tablets, creams, or injections. However, injections are only given in severe cases of allergies.

2. Systemic corticosteroids

Systemic corticosteroids are strong anti-inflammatory drugs that are usually prescribed in the form of oral and injectable medications to treat cold allergy symptoms. Examples of systemic corticosteroid drugs are prednisone and prednisolone.

Some corticosteroid drugs are given in the morning during the first 2-4 weeks. Next, the doctor will need to observe the results and their effects further to determine if you need to adjust the dosage.

The use of systemic corticosteroid drugs must be supervised by a doctor because this drug has a number of side effects. This is even more so if you take it with high doses (more than 20 mg per day) and in the long term.

Side effects that can be caused by corticosteroids include:

• sleep disorders,
• increased appetite,
• weight gain,
• an increase in blood sugar 2 hours after eating, and
• certain psychological effects.

3. Leukotriene receptor antagonist

Leukotriene receptor antagonist works by inhibiting the effects of leukotrienes in the body. Leukotrienes are chemicals released in allergic reactions and cause a number of symptoms, especially inflammation and hives.

Example leukotriene receptor antagonist namely montelukast, zafirlukast, and pranlukast. This drug, also known as an antileukotriene, is available in a drinking form. You must consult a doctor before consuming it.

4. Omalizumab

Omalizumab is a second-line drug therapy for the treatment of hives. Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, this drug is prescribed for people with cold allergies who have failed to use antihistamines or systemic corticosteroid drugs.

Omalizumab cannot be used carelessly. This drug is given by injection on the surface of the skin every 4 weeks. So. its use will always be under the supervision of a doctor.

Emergency medicine for severe cold allergic reactions

A cold allergy rarely causes a life-threatening reaction. However, in some sufferers, environmental allergens can trigger a severe reaction called anaphylactic shock. This condition must be treated with drugs in the form of epinephrine.

Anaphylaxis causes shortness of breath, increased heart rate with a weak pulse, and a drastic drop in blood pressure. If not treated immediately, this condition can lead to coma and death.

Epinephrine works by stopping these reactions and returning conditions in the body to normal. However, this medicine should be used as soon as allergy symptoms appear for optimal effect.

If you are prone to anaphylaxis, you should keep epinephrine at home and carry it with you wherever you go. Learn how to use it and tell the people closest to you as a first aid step if an allergy recurs.

Prevent cold allergy recurrence

The best way to prevent a recurrence of a cold allergy is to avoid exposure to cold temperatures as much as possible. This is not easy, but you can work around this with the following tips.

• Take a shower in the morning with warm water.
• Drink room temperature water without adding ice cubes.
• Limit cold drinks, ice cream, and similar cold products.
• Wearing long sleeved clothes during the rainy season. Use gloves, hats, and scarves if necessary.
• Check the water temperature before bathing or swimming. If you like to swim, choose a pool with warmer water.
• Take an antihistamine medication before traveling to a low temperature environment.

A cold allergy is one of the most common types of allergies. You can treat mild cold allergies by avoiding the triggers and using natural ingredients on the skin that has hives.

If natural remedies do not work to relieve cold allergy symptoms, try to consult a doctor to get the right treatment. Medicines are not only useful for relieving symptoms, but also for preventing the recurrence of the disease.